Mexico City (aka CDMX) is unequivocally a foodie's paradise. There are few cities I have ever been to that are as palate pleasing. Don't believe me? The New York Times has described the food in CDMX as "upsettingly good" and Condé Naste Traveler has described it as "the tastiest destination in North America."
If you are on a modest budget, the street food will blow you away. (Psst...Mexico City even has the world's first and only Michelin starred taco stand.) If you have a moderate budget, there are plenty of casual and mid-range priced restaurants that are amazing. If you come ready to splurge on meals, there are plenty of upscale restaurants that are phenomenal. So, no matter your budget, arrive ready for a great dining experience. (This post will be dedicated to the first category of modestly priced restaurants. More to come on CDMX upscale and fine dining soon.)
Al Pastor
Street food in Mexico City is delicious and very inexpensive. For example, you can find al pastor on almost every corner for less than $3. Just follow your nose.
Al Pastor, which translates to "shepherd style" in Spanish, is spit-fired pork, marinated in Mexican spices and grilled vertically. Walk up to any al pastor stand and the chef will cut off thin layers of the pork, lay it in a warm tortilla with some condiments and you will have a mouth watering meal for less than the price of a coffee.
This is true of various preparations of pork at food stands, including both stewed and fried, as pictured above.
Green Chorizo
Other street food dishes I ate while in CDMX included green chorizo, which I sampled in Mercado de Jamaica, a traditional public market that has been operating since 1950. The word "chorizo" is Spanish for "sausage," which I have eaten many times. The green variety however, was new to me. To achieve the green color, meat is mixed with herbs and chilis.
The mixture is then sautéed ...
... prior to being placed on warm, corn tortillas and topped with salsa, onions and cilantro. This taco was so flavorful, I was tempted to have another, but there were too many other stops on our street food tour.
Tlacoyos
Tlacoyo Stand
Another food stand, just blocks away, specialized in tlacoyos. Tlacoyos are made using a thick, corn masa stuffed with beans, cheese and other ingredients.
Tlacoyos are usually oval in shape, though these were shaped like tacos. Other than that, this bean, cheese and pork crackling tlacoyo was everything I had envisioned. It came out of the fryer, warm, slightly crispy and oozing with flavor.
Quesadillas
Quesadilla Stand
Quesadillas are one of the more common Mexican foods in the U.S. This stall in CDMX made all manner of quesadillas using fresh, blue corn tortillas.
Frijoles y Zucchini Blossoms
Because I was accustomed to the U.S. varieties including meat and cheese quesadillas, I decided to venture out and try combinations that weren't as familiar to me. I opted for a black bean quesadilla made with nopales (cactus) chilis and queso fresco, a fried zucchini blossom quesadilla and a ...
Hongos Quesadilla
... hongos, or wild mushroom quesadilla. All three were great and for my vegetarian readers, diet friendly.
Insects
Flying Ants, Crickets and Chiniquil
Did you know that insects have been part of the Mexican diet for centuries? When the Spanish arrived, they introduced grazing animals to Mexico and what is now the U.S. Prior to that time, insects were relied upon as a high protein food source.
Scorpions and Beetles
In a minority of restaurants I have visited in the U.S., including Th_Prsrv and Owamni, you will find insects on the menu. In Mexico however, they are ubiquitous in markets, at street food stalls and in restaurants.
Corn
Coal Roasted Corn on the Cob
Another ubiquitous item in Mexico is corn in various forms. In addition to the whole roasted cob in husks that you see above, I also had other delicious varieties.
Pan Fried with Herbs and Chilis
There were slightly crispy corn kernels (esquites) wok fried with herbs, chilis and oil ...
Boiled Corn
... as well as esquites boiled with lime and herbs.
Corn Grinder
At a small market in Mexico Central, I was able to see corn being ground in preparation for making tortillas.
After being ground and made into dough, the tortillas were pressed and cooked right in front of us.
The result of all of this labor was warm, fresh tortillas right off the press. They were so soft and flavorful, they didn't need any butter or other toppings. We just added a pinch of salt and they almost melted in your mouth.
Corn Bread
Another nearby food stand made fresh corn bread that came in both savory and sweet versions.
Concha
If you have a sweet tooth, it will be satisfied by all of the dessert options you will find in CDMX.
Concha
The most common dessert I encountered were conchas, or traditional Mexican sweet breads that are shaped like shells. They are similar in consistency to brioche, but with crunchy toppings.
Fruit
Mixed Fruits
If you want to go the healthier route, stop at any of the fresh fruit stands and choose from myriad options. My fruit "bowl" (made of corn husk) was overflowing with papaya, guava, Chinese grenade, star fruit, mamey, chirimoya, kumquat, zapote, persimmon and peach.
Mercado de Jamaica
Dried Goods
As I mentioned, many of the food stalls we visited were in Mercado de Jamaica, where you can not only snack, but shop. There are vendors selling dried goods including chilis, seafood and fruit ...
... candy shops ...
... and shops selling powders made from dehydrated fruits and spices.
Taqueria Los Cocuyos
If you are looking for budget friendly options where you can sit and enjoy your meal, I would recommend two. The first is Taqueria Los Cocuyos, a taco shop that sells multiple varieties of tacos. This place was recommended by three locals as well as Bon Appétit, Eater and many other food critics. Though my travel companion didn't agree, I thought these were the best tacos I had on this trip to CDMX.
Lengua Taco
This restaurant is authentic and no frills. As a Bon Appétit writer described it, the place is filled with "giant meat jacuzzi[s]" brimming with everything from tongue (pictured above) ...
Carne Asada and Carnitas Tacos
... to pork and beef. Some meat is taken straight from the boiling vat and placed in your taco, while other meat, like the carne asada (beef) and carnitas (pork), is grilled quickly for a crispier texture.
Carinito
Cantones Taco
If you are looking for a fusion taco experience, I would recommend Carinito which was my travel companion's favorite taco spot of the trip. We got a chance to try four tacos. First up was the cantones taco filled with pork confit cooked in eight spices and house made pickles, all drizzled with hoisin sauce and sriracha.
Conchinita Taco
Next, we had a conchinita taco filled with pulled pork belly with Yucatecan achiote, aromatic spices, fermented beans, and xnipec.
Issan Taco
Another taco featuring pulled pork belly was the issan taco. Here, the pork was marinated in northeast Thai seasoning and then sprinkled with rice powder, chicharron and fresh mint.
Thai Taco
We finished with the Thai taco made with crispy pork, topped with Jim Jaew sauce, tamarind and basil.
That completes this post, but not my dining experience in CDMX. I have many more restaurants to share about as well as bars with secret doorways and activities that took me soaring above the city.
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